Electric waffle iron



Patented July 1, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LLOYD C. STRITE, 01' MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA nLEc'rmc WAI'I'LE IRON Application filed October. 8, 1928. Serial No. 810,774.

rected to the provision of an extremely simple and highly efiicient assembly of grids, electrical heating elements and their enclosing casings and supports, whereby the construction, assemblies and repairs, 1f necessary, are facilitated while, at the same time,

providing for high efficiency in' the cookingaction. 7

A commercial form of the invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, wherein like characters lndicate like ,parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical axial section with some arts broken away, illustrating the invention incorporated in an electric waflie iron of the character above indicated and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the upper vmember of the waffle iron, with some parts removed and with some parts broken away.

The numeral 3 indicates the box-like base of the device, the same, as shown, having a large opening formed by an upturned annular flange 4, the depressed base of which is de ressed to form a surrounding annular over ow trough 5. Located below andextending diametrically across this large opening,,the base is provided with a bridge bar 6 provided with an internally threaded hub 7 at the axis of the opening formed by the T e lower and upper grids or wattle-forming members 8 and 9, respectively, are preferably cast metal structures advisably' of aluminum. These grids have the customary lug-equipped recessed faces which, when closed together, are adapted to form a wafile. At their central portions, the grids 8 and 9 are formed with aligned hubs 10 and,

at their edges, they are formed with projecting annular rest ribs or flanges 11. In the r outer faces, said grids are formedwith annular channels 12 that afiord seats for a pan and receive annular electrical heating elemerits. These annular electrical heating elements comprise coils 13 of insulated wire contained within annular casings 14, so that each electrical heating element is in the form of an annular cartridge. Flanged metal shells 15, lined with insulating material 16, such as asbestos, are inversely placed against the electrical heating elements with their flanges and the flanged portions of their insulating linings telescoped over the bodies of the respective grids 8 and 9 and pressed against the flanges 11 of said grids. The upturned flanges of the lower shell 15 are also telescoped into the upturned annular flange 4 of the base member 3 and the central portion of said shell 15 rests upon the hub 7 of the bridge bar 6. A screw 17, passed through the hub 10 of the lower grid 8 and through axial passages in the shell 15,

is screwed into the hub 17, thereby securely but detachably anchoring the said lower members 8 and 15 to the bridge .bar 6 and to the base 3. Both the upper and lower shells 15 are provided with inturned aligning lips 18 thatserve .to position the heating elementsconcentricallyin respect to the axis of the centrally located screw 17.

The upper grid 9 and upper shell 15 are secured to a 'displaceable inverted pan-like supporting member 19 that is in the form of having a cylindrical flange that is telescoped over the flange of the upper shell 15 and seated against the flange 11.01? the ppe ber 19 will usually be hingedly connected to the lower supporting member or base 3 and, as shown, this hinge connection is accomplished by arms 20 secured to said member 19 and hinged at 21 to lugs 22 on the p back of the member 3. At its front id 9. This upper supporting memtion, the member 19 is shown as provided with a lifting handle 23. The upper inverted pan-like supporting member 19 is provided with a centrally located depending hub 24 that bears against the hub of the upper grid 9. Said grid 9 is rigidly but detachably into said hub 24. It will also be noted thatthe hub 24 has a reduced portion passed through the central portion of the upper shell 15 and its insulating lining, so that the screw 25 serves to rigidly but detachably secure the said three parts 9, 15 and 19 together. The numeral 2-6 indicates lead wires that are connected to the terminals of the lower heating coil 13, and the numeral 27 indicates lead wires that are connected to the terminals of the upper heating coil 13. As best shown in Fig. 2, the shells 15 and their insulating linings are cut away, respectively, at 28 and 29, to permit the leads 26 and 27 to be readily connected to the terminals of the respective coils by nutequipped binding posts 30. Also, as best shown in Fig. 2, the shells 15 are provided near their central portions with outwardly turned flanges 31. These flanges 31 bear against the backs of the respective grids 8 and 9 to prevent caving in of the two shells 15.

The structure described is not only cheap to make, but may be very quickly and easily assembled with all of the parts in perfect alignment and in proper positions. Moreover, the structure aflords means for ready replacement by substitution of burned-out or defective heating element. Also, the grids are enclosed against any considerable waste of heat by radiation and the heating elements are well enclosed and protected.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a base member and a relatively movable pan-like upper supporting member, said base and upper member having approximately aligned annular flanges, of flanged shells seated in reverse arrangement, one in the flange of said base and the other in the flange of said upper member, said shells having linings of insulating material, of a pair of cooperating grids seated one in the lower and the other in the upper of said flanged shells and having marginal flanges that rest against the open ends of the flangedshells, annular electrical heating elements seated in the backs of said grids and held seated therein by the said cooperating flanged shells, "and means detachably connecting the respective grids, the lower to said base member and the upper to said supporting member.

2. A device of the kind described comprising a pair of cooperating grids, each having a marginal flange and a channel in its outer face to receive an annular heating element, an annular heating element detachably seated in each of said channels, a

flanged shell enclosing the back of each of said grids and their respective heating element, the open ends of said flanged shells being seated against the marginal flanges of their respective grids and their inside back portions being seated against their respective heating elements, one of said flanged shells being seated in an opening in a baselike supporting member with the flange of its contained grid engaging the edge of said opening and the outer closed end of said flanged shell engaging a base portion thereunder and thereby being held against downward movement, and the other of said flanged shells being seated in a pan-like supporting member with the open end of said pan-like supportin member engaging the marginal flange oi the grid contained in the cooperating flanged shell, the back of said last noted flanged shell engagingan overlying portion of the pan-like supporting member and thereby being held against upward movement in respect thereto, and securing means detachably maintaining the base-like supporting member and its cooperating parts together and for detachably securing the upper pan-like supporting member and its cooperating parts together.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 in which the securing means comprises a screw passed through each grid from its inside face portion, through its flanged shell and having screw-threaded engagement with its respective cooperating supporting member.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

LLOYD C. STRITE. 

